In the early 1940s, holding the US Open in non-traditional locations made sense for the purpose of expanding the influence of the USCF in new areas. But drawing only about 60 players in three years did not. With wartime conditions still restricting travel, the tournament was brought back to a location where the turnout would be better. Over the years, the US Open would develop an informal rotation between regions; never again would the same city get two Opens in three years like Dallas did in 1940 and 1942.

In addition, the 1943 event was combined with the New York State Chess Association championship at Syracuse. A satisfactory turnout of 40 players showed up, but unfortunately only two top players in Al Horowitz and Anthony Santasiere. They piled up the points, drawing with each other and Dr. Gerald Katz. Horowitz took his second title when Santasiere dropped an extra half-point to August Otten. Obviously, he Otten not have done that.

44th US Open

Site: Hotel Syracuse, Syracuse, New York

Dates: August 14-24, 1943. There is some question about this, ACB saying the tournament continued until the 26th. However, scheduled play ended on the 24th (Chess Review, New York Times) with the possible exception of one adjourned game which was drawn and may nt have been resumed, so I am preferring the earlier date.

PLaying Schedule"

The reports in the New York Times are fragmentary, making it difficult to determine the exact schedule and impossible to break down the pairings round-by-round. What follows is uncertain.

Saturday, August 14: Round 1
Sunday, August 15: Rounds 2-3
Monday, August 16: Rounds 4-5
Tuesday, August 17: Rounds 6-7
Wednesday, August 18: Off day; rapid transit tournament Thursday, August 19: Rounds 8-9
Friday, August 20: Round 10
Saturday, August 21: Round 11
Sunday, August 22: Round 12
Monday, August 23: rounds 13-14
Tuesday, August 24: Round 15

Championship

                               1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1  Israel Albert Horowitz      X = 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 14.0
2  Anthony Santasiere          = X 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 13.5
3  Benjamin Altman             0 0 X 1 0 0 = 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10.5
4  Harlow Bussey Daly          0 0 0 X = = 1 = 1 1 = = 1 1 1 1  9.5
5  Gerald Katz                 = = 1 = X 0 0 0 1 = 1 = 1 1 1 1  9.5
6  Edmund Nash                 0 0 1 = 1 X = 1 1 = 0 = = 1 1 =  9.0
7  Joseph Lyon Rauch           0 0 = 0 1 = X 1 = 1 = 1 1 1 0 1  9.0
8  Roger B Johnson             0 0 0 = 1 0 0 X 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1  8.5
9  Steven J Shaw               0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0 X 1 1 1 = 1 1 1  7.0
10 Ward Mayhew Parker Mitchell 0 0 0 0 = = 0 0 0 X 1 = 1 = 1 1  6.0
11 Robert H W Welch            0 0 0 = 0 1 = 0 0 0 X 1 = = 1 1  6.0
12 August Otten                0 = 0 = = = 0 1 0 = 0 X = 0 1 1  6.0
13 George Sturgis              0 0 0 0 0 = 0 0 = 0 = = X = = 1  4.0
14 Byron B Price               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = = 1 = X = 0  3.0
15 Llewellyn Walter Stephens   0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 = = X 1  3.0
16 Arthur W Wood               0 0 0 0 0 = 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  1.5

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Experts

                        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
1  Gustaf O Christenson X = = 1 = = 1 1 1 1 1 1 9.0
2  Frank Valvo          = X 0 = 1 1 1 1 = 1 1 1 8.5
3  Howard D Grossman    = 1 X 1 1 1 0 = = = 1 1 8.0
4  John W Barnhart      0 = 0 X = 1 1 1 = 1 1 1 7.5
5  Mary Bain            = 0 0 = X 1 1 0 1 1 = 1 6.5
6  Paul L Guckemus      = 0 0 0 0 X 1 1 1 1 0 0 4.5
7  Edna Horowitz        0 0 1 0 0 0 X = = 0 1 1 4.0
8  John Penafeather     0 0 = 0 1 0 = X 1 1 0 0 4.0
9  Donald J Sibbett     0 = = = 0 0 = 0 X 1 0 1 4.0
10 John W House         0 0 = 0 0 0 1 0 0 X 1 1 3.5
11 Paul E Kruse         0 0 0 0 = 1 0 1 1 0 X 0 3.5
12 Claude Fred Tears    0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 X 3.0

Class A

                       1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
1  Louis Persinger     X = 1 = 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10.0
2  Morton Siegel       = X = 1 1 1 = 1 1 1 1 1  9.5
3  Joseph Brainin      0 = X 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1  7.5
4  B M Smith           = 0 1 X 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1  7.5
5  Henry Morowski      0 0 0 1 X 1 1 1 1 1 0 1  7.0
6  Frank Chermak       0 0 0 0 0 X 1 = 1 1 1 1  5.5
7  George A Donahue    0 = 0 0 0 0 X 1 1 1 1 1  5.5
8  Zenas Leslie Hoover 0 0 1 0 0 = 0 X 1 = 1 1  5.0
9  Mrs. Carl S Nye     0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 X 1 1 1  4.0
10 Donald D Dann       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 0 X 1 1  2.5
11 P J Jetter          0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 X 1  2.0
12 Mildred Peters      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  0.0

Sources:

American Chess Bulletin, September/October 1943, p. 69-81. ACB

Chess Results 1941-1946 / Gino di Felice, p. 125.

Chess Review, October 1943, p. 276-280. CR

Los Angeles Times, December 12, 1943; May 14, 1944.

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SEE ALSO: Game Collection: US Open Tournament Index